A step in the right direction

Fort Lupton’s new police chief has the right idea about drug enforcement. “This administration is really going after it, and we’ve had success,” Police Chief Ron Grannis told the Tribune last month when a report by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation revealed a significant increase in drug violations in Fort Lupton.

The number of drug arrests in Fort Lupton nearly doubled in a year’s time, going from 40 in 2005 to 71 in 2006.

Of course, this statistic represents both good news and bad. We’re not sure if the increased arrests are also because there’s an increase in drug use.

While we must be cautious about reading too much into the numbers, the important point is that Grannis has the Fort Lupton Police Department headed in the right direction, along with that municipality’s drug pushers and users.

The rest of the county, and northern Colorado for that matter, should take note. There has been an increase in drug use and drug trafficking in Weld County in recent years. It’s time we all took a stand.

“We hope to get busier in drug enforcement,” he said. “We hope to have a peak and then a drop-off, which would mean we’re being effective. We want the word to get out that you don’t do drugs in our town.”

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Drug use is a serious problem in Weld. It is important that our law enforcement officials put a priority on cracking down on drug use and trafficking. Fort Lupton’s efforts of increased training for officers — which led to more drug arrests from routine traffic stops in 2006, for example — and increased cooperation with the Weld County Drug Task Force, could lead the way for the rest of the county and the region.

As important as the efforts of the police are, however, they are only one half of the battle. It is important that the judges hearing these cases will see that convicted drug users also get help that is needed. Putting users in jail and then turning them loose without intervention will not stop the problem. Long-term treatment — especially with the more addictive drugs, such as methamphetamine — is an absolute must.

We applaud the Fort Lupton Police Department for its increased efforts to curb drug use and drug trafficking. We hope that these officers efforts can pave the way for more work and cooperation throughout Weld to stem the tide of the destructive force of drug addiction.